The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering America's criminal justice system. In 2016 and 2021, The Marshall Project was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. We have also been honored with the Goldsmith Prize, multiple National Magazine Awards, and for General Excellence from the Online Journalism Awards. We are not advocates—we follow the facts and we do not pander to any audience—but we have a declared mission: to create and sustain a sense of urgency about the criminal justice system. We do not generally cover breaking news (although we curate the reporting of other news outlets in our morning newsletter). Our work includes investigative and explanatory projects and shorter pieces aimed at highlighting stories that other news organizations miss, underestimate or misunderstand. To assure our work reaches a larger audience we partner or co-publish with other media outlets on almost all of our work; we have partnered with more than 200 newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online sites.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who have been incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal justice system.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Marshall Project, a non-profit newsroom dedicated to covering the criminal justice system, is planning for a period of growth. As a result, The Marshall Project has partnered with The Job Plugs, a diversity search firm, to assist the organization with its Major Gifts Officer role.

The Major Gifts Officer will identify pathways to cultivate new prospective donors to support The Marshall Project's mission. This role is a key part of the organization's expansion goals as The Marshall Project plans to double its budget, allowing it to develop local newsrooms, increase engagement with incarcerated and other justice-affected audiences, and enhance the national newsroom.

The successful candidate will be entrepreneurial, possess excellent presentation skills, and have the ability to deeply understand and communicate the importance of creating a top-notch newsroom focused on the criminal justice system. In addition, the successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, loves autonomy in their work, and is a person who can roll up their sleeves to work seamlessly as a member of the larger Development team.

The Major Gifts officer will be responsible for new business development.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Work with the Chief Development Officer to set short- and long-term goals for growth.
• Research and identify new prospective donors for The Marshall Project who are capable of making six-figure-plus gifts.
• Partner with the President and Chief Development Officer to shape strategies for reaching out to and cultivating prospective donors.
• Close gifts at the six- and seven-figure level, either directly or by deploying the President or others at The Marshall Project.
• Develop elevation strategies for existing donors who have the potential for greater investment.
• Steward major donors, including establishing a high-level stewardship plan for donors making gifts over $100,000. Develop innovative communications, events, and outreach for major donors.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director for Strategic Communications and the Chief Financial Officer to create written and financial materials to solicit and steward donors.
• Create regular reports to apprise the President and Chief Development Officer of progress.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• At least five years of major gifts fundraising experience, ideally in a related field (criminal justice, journalism, strengthening democracy, social justice, racial justice, economic justice, etc.).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with proven experience creating persuasive and compelling cases for support.
• Keen prospect research skills.
• Excellent follow-through and organizational skills.
• Aptitude for tracking and moving prospective donors through a pipeline, from identification, research, and qualification, to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Creativity in approach to major donor engagement.
• Organized, methodical approach, flexible, and able to tailor strategies to individuals' proclivities and interests.
• Ability to educate prospective donors about The Marshall Project's work in clear and compelling written and spoken language and to generate enthusiasm for our work and our goals.
• Ability to execute and manage multiple projects while meeting tight deadlines.
• A strong commitment to accuracy and attention to detail.
• Event-planning experience is a plus.
• Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships within a team and across the broader organization.Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, valuing all individuals and respecting differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socio-economic circumstance.

We are headquartered in New York City, and the position is based there. This is a hybrid position with the opportunity to work from home or our office in Manhattan or a combination of both. Visits to the office, in-person retreats or trainings, and on-site team meetings may occasionally be required.

We do not expect every candidate to be equally skilled in all these areas, and this is not a complete list of all relevant qualifications applicants might bring to the job. Please tell us about your other assets not mentioned here that may be valuable to this role. Reaching talent across a range of backgrounds and experiences is deeply important to us. If you do not have the exact combination of skills listed here, but are still interested in this role and/or in The Marshall Project, we'd love to hear from you.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This job is full-time, with a competitive salary and benefits including:

Annual Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000

100% employer-paid medical, employer-subsidized vision and dental insurance, matching traditional and Roth 401k (immediate vesting). Voluntary benefits include: Health and Dependent Care FSA, commuter benefits, pet insurance, short and long-term disability insurance, employee and dependent life insurance, AFLAC accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage, legal benefits, personal excess liability insurance, and employee discount marketplace. We also observe 17 days of paid time off each year (in addition to office closure between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2), and provide paid parental leave.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should express interest by submitting a resume, cover letter, and one writing sample( e.g., a letter to a donor, a year-end email solicitation, etc.)